Northeast Europe, Estonia: Bronze Age

Bronze Age (c.1800-500 BC)

The Late Neolithic tradition of below-ground inhumation persisted until a new burial style spread from Nordic-Germanic regions to Estonia. Stone cist graves (Latin: cista, box, chest) and cremations then became increasingly common.

For the Early Bronze Age (c.1800-1100 BC), artefacts in Estonia are rare. They consist primarily of early ceramics, 3000-year-old agricultural evidence such as barley grains, and imported metal items – such as spearheads and the bronze flanged axe discovered on the Raidsaare drumlin in Tagaküla.

The emergence of fortified settlements in Estonia c.1100-900 BC represents a major shift toward increased security and permanent habitation, typically in the form of hillforts. Key sites include Asva on Saaremaa Island, known for early bronze casting, along with Ridala, Iru (Tallinn), and Joaorg (Narva), which feature stone-strengthened wooden ramparts.

During the Bronze Age, the people who lived on the islands and along the coast of Estonia traded extensively with communities in present-day Finland and Sweden, from whom they obtained bronze objects and luxury items in exchange for seal blubber, furs, honey, beeswax, and other forest products.  Although the Estonian mainland was certainly populated, the people along the coast benefited from the trade with the Scandinavian tribes, while the people in the interior continued to rely more heavily on hunting and gathering compared to the coastal farmers.

During the Late Bronze Age (1100-500 BC), the people in Estonia began growing barley on land cleared of limestone. The stones were piled into low walls that still stand today. When field fertility declined, the land was used to graze cattle, which fertilized the soil for future crops. Families lived on separate farms and buried their dead in stone-cist graves.